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Counter Intelligent?
The relationship between shoppers and salespeople can be as complex as a romance
Ideally, the person behind the counter boasts a clotheshorse-cum-cheerleader personality like that of my mother, Susan Alter, who has owned the store Artichoke in Connecticut since the 1970s. She credits its longevity to her knowledge of merch and clients. “I let customers think they’re in charge, when it’s the other way around,” she says. And while the adage suggests that the customer is always right, that’s not always true. My Mom showed a spine as stiff as a Dior crinoline once when she refused a shopper’s return of a frock reeking of Eau de Last Night’s Party.
And besides behaving like, ahem, an adult (no tossing discarded jeans in a heap on the dressing behind the counter instead of assuming that “Can I help you?” translates as “Are you stealing that?” “Often, we know which certain designers cut clothes for specific body types,” says Hitchner.
Letting a clerk in on your likes, dislikes or gripes about your thighs helps them serve you better and elevates the retail experience to something like friendship, especially at small stores. “Boutique owners cherish customers because they can’t rely on foot traffic to bring in business like big stores can,” says Freeman Hall, author of “Retail Hell” ($23, Adams).
Getting in good with store folk might even net you a superhero for fashion emergencies. “I once got a panicked phone call from a customer who had snagged the zipper of her dress as she walked into an event,” recalls Fabiana Zelaya, owner of Daisy Too (4940 St.Elmo Ave., Bethesda; 301-656-2280). “I closed the store, threw dresses in the car, drove downtown to the reception and met her in the bathroom. She tried them on until she found one that fit.” CATHY ALTER
